New Sunrises as Old Ra Sets
by ZZinc
Summary: um...starts off in Egypt a LONG time ago. Not much else to say.


The soft pitter-patter of little feet running back and forth was heard throughout the small temple. A giggling boy with frizzled white hair toppled over a small stone and spilled the bowl of creamy milk all over the white marble tiles. The boy slowly looked up as the bowl rolled to a stop creating a ringing noise that echoed off the walls.

What a mess he had created! The cats were all around looking hungrily from the spilt milk to the child and not a noise was to be heard. A small kitten tilted his head and gave the boy a pathetic meow. The boy bowed his head and sighed.

"I know, I know, I am sorry I'll fetch another bowl and clean up this mess." He smiled and walked off. He had been given the job of care and upkeep at the temple of Bast the cat goddess, and today was his first day. Along with cleaning and washing of all the surfaces belonging to the temple, he had to feed, brush, and entertain all the cats that occupied the temple as well. He mentally slapped himself for spilling the milk and being so careless. It was an honor to work here and he could not afford to be restrained. He had a good job here and he knew he was lucky.

The small Egyptian boy walked into the kitchens and gathered up some strips of cloth and put them into a bowl of water. He walked back to where he had spilt the milk and went about cleaning up the mess. When he came back to the kitchens to empty and put away the bowl and cloth, a single roll of bread rolled across the marble tiles and came to a stop near his feet. Thinking some cat decided to play with the ball shaped bread from the storage room, he quickly picked it up and went to get the milk for the cats.

After feeding the cats, he sat down on the dirt steps leading into the temple's kitchens from the back, and started eating the roll. He was not the greedy sort of person but he hardly got any food as it was and he figured that the priests wouldn't like to eat something that was rolled around on the floor. Where he sat nibbling away on his roll, he could hear people coming and going from the temple as they pleased. He could hear praying and chanting echoing off the walls and lingering in the air. He heard footsteps in the kitchens and figured one of the cooking servants was sent to prepare a small banquet for an arising priest... or maybe pharaoh himself! If that was so, he could waste no time eating a simple roll! He had things to clean and scrub and the cats needed to be brushed and looking nice. Everything had to be perfect for his arrival.

The boy quickly walked up the stairs and pulled back the hanging cloth door, coming face to face with a hurried, scared looking boy just slightly older than he, holding a small lumpy wheat bag in his hand. The older boy sighed and sank to his knees bowing his head and a tear ran down his dust covered face.

"Please," he begged "they're going to get me, I was just hungry..." he trailed off as more tears came.

The younger boy picked up the bag that was now lying motionless on the ground beside them and examined the contents as the other lifted his head.

Some rolls, dried fish, and a lump of butter covered in cloth were all he found. The smaller boy gave a giggle.

"Oh that's what it is, is it? The temple guards caught you stealing some of the priest's food?"

The older one gave a sigh and nodded slowly. "They're every where."

"You had better come with me then," he said in almost a sing-song voice. The child within moments found himself pressed against the clay wall with his arm being twisted behind his back and the others hand over his mouth.

"I will not be turned in by a child like you!"

The young boy cringed as his arm was twisted harder. He shook his head. No, no, this was not what he had meant. He pointed with his free hand towards the box bench.

"What?" the older one asked, confused.

The boy mumbled into the hand covering his mouth but no clear words were heard by the other. Reluctantly, he released his grip on the boy and let him speak.

"No silly... come here. I will show you." He walked the older boy over to the wooden table and a bench on the other side of the kitchen. The taller boy looked on in confusion as the other went about moving the cushions around.

"I have no time for this. They will be her any moment now!"

The younger boy giggled as he pulled up one of the larger seat cushions. Where two planks of wood met at the center was a small cord of rope. He pulled it and the whole seat of the bench came off. He started pulling bags of flower and grain out, dust going everywhere, and stacked them to the side.

"You'll be safe in here!" The younger boy exclaimed. "Hurry get in!"

With assistance, the taller boy crawled into the small cubby and pulled the bench back together. The smaller boy replaced the pillows and cushions and sat upon them. He pulled a small mortar bowl and pestle closer to him. He then stuck his hand into a bag of grain and pulled out a handful. He sprinkled it into the bowl and began grinding it with the pestle. The boy looked up as he heard heavy footsteps approaching. A work-hardened hand pulled the cloth door back and in came three muscled guards dressed in the pharaohs wear. The boy gave the three a cheerful smile and went back to grinding the grain.

The guards grunted silently to themselves and two of them briefly turned around and searched through the kitchen. One went through the storage room and soft thuds were heard. The boy knew what he was doing. He was kicking all the grain bags seeing if some one was hiding in one. The other was going through, opening all the canisters and sticking his sword through till it hit the clay bottom. As custom for searching for thieves. The boy kept grinding. The last guard, who had been watching him, strode over and placed his hand on the young boys shoulder. The boy slowly looked up at the guard towering above him.

"Seen any one in the kitchens, slave, that should not be in here?"

The boy grind and shook his head innocently "No, sir, I haven't."

The guard patted his shoulder and gave a small nod. The tree of them, after a moment more of searching, left the temple.

The young boy crawled down off the seat cushions and folded the seat up. The light washed over the boy inside and he up an arm to shield his eyes. He climbed out of the bench and dusted flour off his clothes.

The smaller boy giggled at the sight.

"What?" the older boy flashed a glare. The young boy pointed.

"Your hair is all white and you look like a spirit."

The older boy softened his features and nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, I know," he replaced his cloth headdress that had fallen off in the box and held out his hand to the boy. "I believe a thanks is in order. You could have been whipped if they had found you hiding me, or you simply could have collected the reward on my head. I am very grateful for what you did."

The young boy shook his hand and nodded as he scooted him out the door.

"I know, I know. You best be on your way now. It's getting late, priest are bound to show up soon, they like coming here on their spare time ... sometimes the eat supper here too, you know. Set used to take me here all the time. I really like it here, so he let me work here. He is sure to show up tonight. It's my first night working. He will be taking me back to the palace. Don't you dare tell anyone that I helped you ether. No, Set would be furious with me. I wouldn't be able to work here again. I would be stuck at the palace again. I hate the palace. Always having to do what the priest say. I really like it here. I like the cats, I do! I don't like the palace, no. You should be more careful, You should. Had the pharaohs personal guard on your tail, I don't even know want to know the reasons for that..."

"Kid, you talk too much."

The younger boy's face reddened as he bowed his head and his eyes wetted. "I am sorry," came his small voice. "Forgive me?" his eyes met the other boys and started to twinkle again as he gave a weak smile.

"Ie," the older boy said rubbing his temple, "You need to get out of that palace more often. It's starting to fry your brains, you don't have to bow your head to me and you don't have to say your sorry for simple stupid things, but listen I need to be going now so..."

"You will come back again won't you?"

"Yes, I will," came his soft reply as he slid into the darkness outside.

"I will come and free you."


End file.
